Madison Mathews

By Monday afternoon, 4-year-old Lilly East’s bucket was already filled with an assortment of candy as she and her friend trick-or-treated up and down Walnut Street. And she knew exactly what treat she was going to go for when it came time to sift through the take from this year’s Halloween.
“I like chocolate best!” she proudly said as she looked around while dressed as Belle from “Beauty and the Beast.”
Trick-or-treating with her child is something Sarah East, Lilly’s mother, loves, especially since Lilly enjoys Halloween so much.
“I like having a little girl, cause she wants to be a princess and stuff like that, so I enjoy that part of it a lot. She gets really excited about it, so I enjoy it,” she said.
The Easts had never been trick-or-treating on Walnut Street before, but the pair joined friends after hearing about what a great atmosphere it was for kids and adults alike.
“It’s nice having the streets blocked off and having other kids and other families walking around. It makes you feel a little bit better. You’re not worried about it as much,” Sarah said.
Ghosts and goblins of all shapes and sizes were out in droves as they participated in the annual trick-or-treat festivities along Walnut Street. Pint-sized versions of Batman, Iron Man, Transformers and Harry Potter walked alongside Halloween staples like vampires, zombies, princesses and witches as they went from business to business collecting as much candy as their buckets and bags could hold.
While any kid will tell you that getting candy is the best thing about Halloween, there are some children like Isaac Moss, who was out with his twin brother Samuel, that enjoy looking at the other costumes just as much.
“I like to walk around and see all the neat costumes, too,” he said.
But the fun of Halloween isn’t just limited to candy and costumes. For 17-year-olds Trevor Welch and Destanie Clemons, it’s just a chance to get out and embrace your inner child.
“You just kind of feel like a little kid again and seeing everyone getting candy and stuff like that just makes you feel really festive and fun, so it’s a good feeling,” Clemons said.